This apartment had great bones but needed some design attention: First, I removed the sconce on the left side,  and replaced the one on the right with a picture light. Then, I had built-ins made to the left of the fireplace, which housed the TV components behind glass (so the remotes would still work). The new flat-screen was wired directly to the cabinetry,  and hung on the wall above the fireplace. Finally a large windowseat was made which provided much-needed toy storage, and helped cozy up the living-room seating.  Finishing touches were the zig-zag rug and window treatments. Voila!

Yes, this is before.